our school (private gifted) changed it's spelling program this year. they realized that many of the kids had a nearly photographic memory for spelling words so they got rid of the "memorize a list/spelling test each week" concept. Now it's a whole language spelling/vocab program that uses words from social studies and reading. the test they take is a vocab/spelling/comprehension/writing mix.
Some words from DS8's (accelerated 3rd gr) recent reading section... they were reading Heidi:
(they have about 25 words, here's a few)
councillor, emphatic, ajar, inquisitive, ravine, threshold, dilapidated, jeer, edgeways and my favorite... obstreperous
They will do the same in SS, have a list of spelling/vocab words from the section they are studying. I like it. In the past it was a total waste of time as DS just absorbed the words and could spell them all easily but didn't always know the definition or how to properly use them in context.
